The True Meaning of Life

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
~ Nelson Henderson

In my son Xavier's room, I hung a poster I bought years ago when I lived in San Francisco which says "Help Grow Crissy Field." Michael Schwab designed it along with his other iconic posters for Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  Not only is it a beautiful image, it perfectly captures the nurturing care for the world that I hope to teach my son.  Now with spring bursting out all over Seattle, it is time to actually plant a tree in a tradition that I am handing down from my parents.  They planted a tree for each of us four kids in the front yard of the house where I grew up, and where my paternal grandparents lived before us.  "My" tree is a fragrant and lovely White Flowering Crabapple.  I haven't lived in that town in over 20 years, but I still feel connected to that tree.  I always felt special knowing it was planted for me.  I am so excited to plant a tree for Xavier that for months I have been debating between choosing a Yellow Magnolia or a Ginko or perhaps a Maple for his Canadian roots.  Then again, it might have to be a Crabapple just like mine.

Arbor day has just come and gone and I didn't make it to the nursery as planned to get the tree, but his birthday is next week and we'll plant it then. Birthday celebrations have already begun and we also started celebrating Mother’s Day early with a quick visit out to see my mom, my older brother and my sister’s family.  I am an opportunist and believe very strongly in spreading out holiday fun as much as possible.  For example, I married my husband twice in six months and was scheming for a third ceremony aboard a ship, which would have been a blast had the captain been more jazzed about the idea.  When people ask me which anniversary we celebrate, I look at them, blink and say “Why, both.” Anyway, these national holidays are only reminders, when really every day could be Arbor Day somewhere in the world and every day should definitely be a new opportunity to shower adoration on your mother/grandmother/stepmom/mother-in-law/mom-like people (that means you, Xavier).

On the subject of trees and mothers, I heard Wangari Maathaispeak at the Seattle Arts and Lecture Series a few years ago and remembered vaguely that my mom had a connection to her.  Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work founding the Green BeltMovement, but before that she studied at Mount St. Scholastica in Kansas in the 1960’s.  She graduated the year before my mother entered as a freshman.  The whole school was very proud of Maathai then and even more so later when she went on to inspire women to plant millions of trees in Africa and around the world. When I asked my mom to tell me what she remembered, she did and then she said "Thanks for asking."

This is my mom in 1966 soon after she was crowned Homecoming Queen at St. Scholastica's brother college St. Benedict – as a sophomore.  She says she won because her outgoing and charming college beau rallied all his friends, but that is just my mom being modest.  Modest like when she laughingly denies the tales her sisters tell of her dancing on tables, modest like when she said winning the high school Snow Queen crown in Highmore, South Dakota was strategically meted out to different local families (even though a few of the five Markley sisters had that honor).  If my mom almost rubbed elbows with Nobel Prize Winners, won popularity contests, let loose at parties….how many other fabulous stories do I not know about her? It is clearly time for a leisurely tea party over Skype to find out more.

I think the true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you don't expect to sit ....and then go sit around the saplings and tell stories with your dear ones.

Three book recommendations:

How to Plant a Tree:  A Simple Celebration of Trees and Tree-Planting Ceremonies  This has tree lore and lovely ideas for planting trees to celebrate births, weddings and memorials or simply just because.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace

And a classic, The Giving Tree.  

"And the boy loved the tree....very much.  And the tree was happy."
~Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree

Loose Diamonds: Creativity Is Yours

Anyone can walk into a jeweler and find a perfect ring, bracelet, necklace or other type of jewelry. One may find exactly what they are looking for and walk out completely content with the purchase. But for some people, the idea of purchasing a loose diamond or other stone holds a promise of creative possibility.

Become familiar with the four C’s when choosing your loose stone. The four C’s are cut, color, clarity and carat. Cut refers to the facets defining the depth of the diamond. A cut too deep or too shallow can impact the “brilliance” of the stone when seen in light. Color refers to the level of purity in a stone. The more colorless the stone, the more valuable it is. Clarity refers to the level of flaws in the stone and carat refers to the size.

One benefit of a loose diamond is that you can see the whole stone. The stone is not in a setting which may hide the bottom portion of the stone. This allows you to see the clarity easier, however it should be noted that in most instances, the color and clarity of a less valuable stone vs. a more valuable stone may not be detected by the naked eye. It takes a gemologist and a microscope to determine the difference.

Visit local jewelers to see stones up close and personal. Whether you purchase a loose stone from a local jeweler or online are up to you. Online retailers tend to have lower prices because of having to hold fewer inventories and dealing with more competition. But since a diamond can be one of the largest purchases you may make, it may give you comfort to hold a stone and really evaluate it in person to make sure it’s exactly what you want.

Consider your budget. Remember that this is just the stone and no matter what kind of setting you are going to put this in, be it a ring, necklace or earrings, there will be an expense involved in turning it into jewelry. Factor in the total amount you can afford to spend and work around that amount accordingly when finding your stone.

The possibilities are endless with Certified Loose Diamonds. You can create a jewel that is specific to you, allows your creativity to shine through and is uniquely yours.

The Gift of an Affordable Diamond Pendant

If you are looking for the perfect present, you are in luck. An affordable diamond pendant can be found online within a few clicks of your mouse. Diamond pendants make exceptional graduation, birthday, and anniversary gifts. A diamond solitaire is a classic, beautiful piece worth investing in.  Their beauty is to top and there is a plethora of pendants in other designs that will please every personality and bank account.

There are a few details to take into consideration when looking for an affordable diamond pendant. Determine if you are interested in a solitaire pendant or a filigree style pendant. A solitaire is a single stone in a setting. A filigree style is a design which uses small stones or chips and may or may not contain a central stone. Both styles are beautiful, versatile and readily available from online wholesalers. Prices can range from an affordable $50 to several thousand dollars. There is a selection of pendants in every price range!

A Diamond Solitaire Pendant should be bought the same way you would buy an engagement ring. They are offered as preset pendants, meaning the diamond has already been selected and set or you can customize your pendant using a loose diamond that will be placed in your choice of settings. The price of each of these options varies by the metal that is used and the quality of the stone. When buying diamond jewelry online, I would advise you to buy a certified diamond. This means that your unique diamond has been evaluated by a third-party gem lab and has certification that details its color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. This way you can rest assured that you are getting exactly what you have paid for.

Filigree pendants are often considered to be fashion pendants and range widely in price and design. This genre is closely linked to current trends in fashion. A notable trend this season is the antique or Victorian inspired design, which uses delicate floral accents. This style often incorporates gemstones such as sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. A few designs that continue to surge in popularity are also based on time period jewelry like Art Deco and Retro 60's. In addition, many specialty themed filigree pendants are available for those who love sports, pets or even cooking. The choices are endless and a little research can be priceless. The perfect present is only a few clicks away!

Begin Anywhere

Begin Anywhere

~John Cage

Beginning something new is such a delicious thrill.

I am fascinated by the stories of my family and friends and take great joy in listening for the details that make the people I love who they are.  I have had this urge for as long as I can remember to list, research, collect and commemorate the ordinary and the beautiful in everyday life. I journal, I keep notes, I try to organize my photos regularly. I've captured some poignant interviews with family, which has spurred me on to do more.  With my family dispersed all over North America, the conversations are all the more precious when we do have time together.  Since my son was born last spring, documenting his growth and rapid daily changes seem all the more important as the weeks whirl by.

As exciting as any new endeavor may be, it can also be daunting.  So often we well-intentioned humans procrastinate and put our dreams on hold indefinitely. It is true, the cosmos rarely come together in perfect sync, daily lives are busy, we give priority to others, we hesitate to commit until some vague later.  The composer John Cage gives me a good nudge and yes, my friends, today is the day!

Begin anywhere.

My intention here is to curate a space to pause and savor the joy in this life of mine.  I also hope to galvanize you to talk with your families, ask questions and laugh over special shared times in the far and recent past so that your stories live on, so they shine.  Be it a conversation with my mom over tea or a one-minute video clip of my son's giggles to a 30-minute interview with my father, I want to seek out true tales, inspiration and delightful ephemera.  And -- here's the main point of this all -- along the way I want to try to be more present each moment while creating these memories that make up my life.

I am jumping in with both feet to celebrate, share and continue the story-telling.  You are cordially invited to stop by and dip your toe in anytime.  Come sail through the waters of memory with me.  Let the conversations flow.  I hope you’ll join me often so this may become a collaboration; my “I” becoming more of a “We.”  I hereby smash an imaginary champagne bottle (excellent vintage, of course) over the bow of this ship and christen this adventure:  Shine Memoirs.

Welcome! 

Heart-Shaped Diamond Pendants

It may come as a surprise but heart-shaped diamond pendants come in all shapes and sizes. You'd think “heart-shaped” would narrow things down, but creativity blooms under any condition. With all that variety, how do you find an affordable diamond pendant in Memphis TN for your loved one? Well, the hard work comes before you even start looking at the shiny rocks, and keep in mind that some education and forethought will save you a little time and a lot of money.

The most important part of any gift is the recipient. Who will be wearing this marvelous heart-shaped diamond pendant? Is it a sweetheart, to show your ever-lasting love? Is it your mom, to remind her of the grateful adoration of her children? Is it a going-away present for your daughter, to remind her that no matter how far away, she can never escape a mother's love? Is this something you want them to break out for special occasions, or is their new pendant an everyday token? With the answers to these questions in mind, you can begin your search.

The great dichotomy of heart-shaped diamond pendants is as such: is it a diamond that is cut like a heart or is it a heart shape with diamonds in it? If the pendant is a gift for a sweetheart, or even more especially for special occasions, you might look for a single gem cut in the shape of a heart. The shape is becoming very popular, thanks to the association of love, hearts and diamond sand is particularly popular in engagement rings, but can certainly make a stunning pendant.

Add a Touch of Class with Diamond Pendants

Like everything else, fashion runs in cycles. What is popular now might not have been popular fifteen years ago, and might be gone in another fifteen. This is no different with jewelry. Some things are timeless, like the classic, elegant beauty of diamonds, while others, like pendants, seem to have more of an ebb and flow. Lately, however, it seems like that tide is flowing back in, and that is due in no small part to the rising popularity of diamond pendants in Memphis TN.

For years there has been a trend, in regard to necklaces, that less is more. This is definitely something of a backlash to the thick rope chains that reached their acme of popularity in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Most of what has been sold in recent years has been simpler designs with clean lines that sit almost inconspicuously around a person’s neck. But what many jewelers have been thinking and noticing is that this is about the polar opposite of what jewelry should be designed for. Jewelry is meant to be seen, to be admired, and to accent the outfit and complete the desired look. Wanting to avoid the excesses of the past, they have lately been playing with designs that incorporate diamond pendants.

This is something that allows the jeweler to come up with new design while also being able to create a new market, one made up of affordable diamond pendants with versatile design.

Top Three Reasons to Buy Diamond Pendants Online at Memphis TN

Oh, Internet, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: kitten videos, puppies, puppies, puppies, and you empower me as a consumer. A bit of a surprise, that last one, I bet. You clicked on this link looking for tips on buying affordable diamond pendants, and I'll give them to you, but some of them might be a bit of a surprise. Purchasing goods online, especially high-pricde goods like diamond pendants, allows you and me to make better purchases across the board, effecting changes across the world with just our shopping habits. With that in mind, here are the top three reasons to buy diamond goods online.

• Information: There are clear advantages for shopping on the web, the first being simply the wealth of information available. If you are looking for diamond pendants at Memphis TN at wholesale, you can find certification information on your wholesalers. If you are looking for a diamond pendant as a gift, you can find out competitors' prices or read reviews from other customers, satisfied and unsatisfied alike. You can check the Better Business Bureau's information and make sure you are dealing with a reliable dealer. Having all the information at your fingertips, just a search away, means you'll feel more comfortable, which is especially important when buying high-ticket ideas like diamond pendants.

• Comfort: Let's talk about comfort in your diamond shopping experience. One of the most uncomfortable things about shopping for jewelry is the pressure. You're already putting pressure on yourself to find the perfect diamond pendant; you don't need any additional pressure from sales agents who want to hurry you along and make bigger sales, and possibly steering you away from the affordable diamond pendants in favor of higher commissions.